In the field of irrigation systems, the drip system has become one of the most popular water delivery method, especially in regions where rainfall is insufficient during the growing season. The drip system is advantageous over other irrigation methods mainly because it delivers water only to those spots where it is needed. Not only water consumption is decreased, but the crop benefits for a number of reasons. Incidents of mildew and other undesirable fungus is minimized since the water is only delivered to the feeder roots of each plant. Weeds in the field are also discouraged because of surface soil is mostly dry. The drip system is also the preferred irrigation method when the planting field is not level, such as a hillside.
In a conventional drip water delivery system, water is carried in drip hoses hanged below high tensile wires suspended approximately two feet above the ground. The drip hoses are hung above ground to prevent damage by farm equipment traffic and rodents. It is also easier to spot a plugged drip head when it is located above ground.
The drip hoses are generally not fixedly fastened to the high tensile wires and are merely hung below the wires. In some conventional systems, the devices used to hang the hoses are simply lengths of plastic with ends that will fasten together to form a loop. Other systems use minor variations of such device. Therefore in the conventional drip systems, the wire and the drip hose are loosely tied together and are free to move with respect to one another. The drip hose move due to a number of reasons. The drip hoses inevitably sag between where the hangers are used due to the weight of the water. The surge of water in the drip hoses may also cause some movements. The uneven field where the drip system is used may cause the hose to stretch and migrate downhill.
Displacement between the hangers and hoses may disadvantageously cause the drip heads to be moved away from the designated water delivery spots. The valleys created by sagging hoses may cause an accumulation of water and thus encourage the growth of algae and undesirable fungus, which may contribute to plugged drip heads. In addition, the hangers may become unevenly distributed and allow a majority of the weight of the hose and water to be unsupported. Thus, the drip hose connections may be pulled apart by the unsupported weight, and cause a leak in the system.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a drip hose hanger which securely fastens a drip hose to its high tensile suspension wire to prevent disadvantageous movement therebetween.